Kenya's national airline Kenya Airways said on October 19 the growth of aviation business in Africa is being restrained through failure by some governments to honor air traffic agreements.

The airline's Commercial Director Hugh Fraser said the national carrier has been forced to revise its expansion program on three occasions because the agreements are not streamlined.

"There are three routes we have sought to open or add frequencies this year and for a variety of reasons, we have not been able to launch the services," he said.

Fraser was speaking at a two-day East African aviation symposium in Nairobi which brought together aviation experts from the region.

The Africa aviation sector is governed by among other agreements, the Yamoussoukro declaration, which advocates for an open sky policy between various African countries, allowing for free movement of African carriers within member states.

However, Fraser said it was becoming difficult to win and exploit air traffic rights on the continent on the strength of bilateral air agreements.

"Most countries still want to do business on a country by country basis and not to have somebody else to determine how they should do business and how they should supposedly open up their sky," he said.

Fraser said it was in the interest of Kenya Airways and other large airlines to form aviation partnerships in Africa to spend more time and efforts to develop intra-African business.

He said the national flag carrier was keen on developing passenger and cargo business and ultimately tourism inside Africa.